Link mat.



vUisrrni) sTATnpsfrArENT.oFFioE.

WENDELI P.,B OSWO\RTH, F BROCKTON, MASSACI-ISETTS.

LINK MAT.

` To all whom t may concern:

the letters being Be it known that I, VVENDELL P. BoswoRTH, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Brockton, in the county of Plymouth andState of Massachusetts, have invented new and'useful Improvements inLink Mats, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a floor mat which includes staggered links,parallel coupling rods on whichv the links are strung, and spacingwashers strung on the rods at opposite' ends of the vmat to space thelinks forming' said ends, the links andwashersbeing preferably made fromscraps or small pieces of sole leather.

The object of the invention is to provide a mat of this character with adetachable panel, which may bear letters or other indicia denoting theownership of the mat, for example the initials of the owners name, andthe construction'being such that eitherside of the mat may be the topside, of which the lettered side of the panel forms a` part. Y

The invention is embodied in the improvements which I will now pr'oceedto describe and'claim.V

c. Of the accompanying drawings formingk a part of this specification:Figure 1 represents a plan view of a mat embodying my invention; Fig. 2represents a view similar to Fig.' 1, the panel being absent; Fig. 3represents a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.; Fig. 4 represents aperspective view of the panel shown by Figs. 1 and 3; Fig. 5 representsa perspective View of a smaller panel or a panel unit.

The same reference characters indicate the same or similar parts in allthe views.

My improved mat includes a body portion formed by stringing4 on a seriesof parl allel wire rods 12 a plurality of links 13,

each of which is preferably composed. of a group of small strips orblanks of sole leather perforated at their end portions to receive therods .12. The links are staggered, as shown, opposite ends of the matare spaced apart by outer spacing washers 14 also strung on the rods.

A mat of the general'construction above described is common and wellknown, the links. being uniformly distributed, so that the only openingsin the mat are those formed by the adjacent sides and ends of the linksand the spacing washers.

Specification of Letters Patent.

and the links forming the p 'adapted to engage In carrying .out` myinvention' I form, preferably in the central portion of the mat,

. an opening 16 of greater area than the combined area of two or more ofthe links. Said opening, which is formed by omitting some of the links,has two opposed. selvage edges,

and the formed by inner spacing washers 14a portions of the linksfilspaced thereby, this construction rendering the two opposed edgespermanent and free from liability to Patented 0ct.,10, 1916.

Application filed March 20, 1916. i Serial No. 85,389.

Some of the wires 12 extend across the opening 16, and the links formingthe offset portions 13a are free to slide or be displaced on said wireswhen the mat is in the condition shown by Fig. 2. Said displaceablelinks are however confined in the completed mat by the panel nextdescribed. Said panel is preferably a single block 17 of elasticmaterial, such as rubber, or a composition containing rubber, and isformed toglill the space betweenl the odset portions 13 at one edge ofthe opening and those at the opposite edge, so that when the panel is inplace none ofthe links 13 are displaceable. The panel is provided withmeans for detachably engaging the portions of the rods 12 which extendacross the opening 16, said means being preferably embodied in slots`18', formed in the under side of the panel,

and'fornied and arranged to receive saidtherefrom in a side-wisedirection.

The vupper surface of the panel may be provided with as shown by Figs. 1and 4, these being applied to the panel 'in any suitable way, and eitherflush therewith, as shown, or sunken Ior raised. The .detachableconnection be-l tween the panel and mat enables the mat to be usedeither side up,'the lettered side` of lthe panel being at the top.

The panel shownby Figs. 1 and. 4 1s rods. the panel may rods, as shown aplurality of initial letters,

four rods 12, the opening .16 being formed tov expose that number ofreferred to may be a unit of a larger panel composed of tivo or more ofsaid units placed edge' to edge and each provided with a single letter.

Having described my invention, I claim:

l. A link mat comprising staggered links, parallel coupling rods passingthrough the said links, some of the links being omitted to form' apanel-receiving opening across which some of the rods extend, anda'panel inserted in said opening and bearing on links at opposite sidesof said opening to prevent their displacement on the rod portionsextending across said opening, said panel having means permitting itsdetachable engagement with said rod portions, by a sidevvise movement ofthe panel.

2. A link mat Comprising staggered links, parallel coupling rods passingthrough the said links, some of the links being omitted to form apanel-receiving opening across which some of the rods extend, and apanel inserted in said opening and bearing on links at opposite sides ofsaid opening to prevent their displacement on the rod portions extendingacross said opening, said panel being of elastic material and havingslots in its ander side formed to detaehablT engage said rod portions,and normally narrower than the diameter of the rods, so that the sidesof the slots are indented bhvthe rods.

In testimony whereof I have allixed my signature.

l/VEN DELL P. BOSVORTH.

